I just can't leave that downer of a journal entry out there as the lead story, so.... I am a rock star / super model / carnival act again! If you recall, I was a BIG hit in China. Well, my fame has returned. What a difference a five hour boat trip from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Chau Doc, Vietnam makes. In Vietnam the kids are laughing, playing games, practicing martial arts, etc. It is both wonderful and refreshing as compared to Cambodia. While all the playing and laughing is great, the return of my ICON status is what is most important. Everyone here wants to say hello and almost everyone wants to discuss my belly. While I would love to be skinny, it's a great ice breaker! To give you an example of the extremes, I have seen on MULTIPLE occasions a parent wake their child from a nap so they could hold the kid up to SEE ME. I am not kidding in the slightest. If a lady/man has a child, it is an absolute that they will get the kid to wave, say hello, and smile at me for as long as I hang around. It's a riot as well as a wonderful experience. While the kids are the funniest of the bunch (some are scared as heck) the men/ladies both young and old also get a kick out of me. I have met hundreds of folks, and of those hundreds, I have had only one bad experience. That is one hell of an average that I will take everyday. Things are still good here as I hope that they are with all of you. Please keep up the emails, and I wish you all the best. PS: The floating markets and floating villages are cool, but it's the people that have made Vietnam special so far. Off to Saigon in the morning.